Intramyocardial blood flow is compromised, leading to myocardial fibrosis and electrical instability (myocardial fibrosis is seen in 30% of those hearts considered to be ‘abnormal’ in victims of sudden cardiac death)

Ventricular ectopic beats, increased QT interval and VT are amongst those electrical disturbances recorded in those with LVH

significance of heart weight at autopsy

Researchers have suggested that hearts weighing >550g can reasonably be associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death, with the greatest risk being in those with systemic hypertension or aortic stenosis (Davies and Popple 1979).

Attempts have also been made to correlate heart weights with height and body weight, to provide some assistance to autopsy pathologists in determining ‘normal’ or ‘expected’ heart weights.

Fulton (1952) described the technique to be used to weigh ventricles individually - and thus attempt to gain an objective assessment of left and right ventricular hypertrophy - whilst values published by Hangartner et al (1985) and Kitzman et al (1988) can assist in correlating heart weight with body weight.